Database of Cases

A writer and online journalist, was arrested by intelligence ministry agents at her home in the city of Karaj on 11 March 2010. She managed to contact her family two days later. She is currently being detained in Ghezel Hessar jail.

The Crimson Gold director, who is a vocal supporter of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, has reportedly been detained by security forces. Panahi is known as one of the leading lights of modern Iranian cinema. He won the Camera d'Or award at the Cannes film festival in 1995 for his debut feature The White Balloon and took the Golden Lion prize at Venice for his 2000 Panahi's productions are largely funded by European money as a means of bypassing what he sees as government interference.

Shahidi was wanted by the Ministry Of Intelligence on the 25th of February and transferred to Evin prison. One day later her lawyer announced her sentence of 6 year imprisonment and fine of 50,000 Tomans.

Vahid Pourostad, an experienced Iranian journalist, was arrested at his home on Monday night on a warrant issued by the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office. Only two days before the 11 February anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the widespread arrests of social activists and journalists now includes Pourostad. Pourostad, who has published several books, is an experienced editor in the Iranian press. One of his friends told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Pourostad was arrested at his mother-in-law’s home.

Ahmad Anbarnejad and Askarian are two volunteer war veterans who are closely related to Mehdi Karoubi. On Februaray 11, both veterans were summoned before the Ministry of Intelligence, and after being subjected to questioning they were directly sent to Evin Prison. Two days prior to the start of the anniversary of the Revolution, a widespread wave of detentions began.

Amin Nazari, an executive member of Daftar Tahkim (The Office of Strengthening Unity) who is responsible for the human rights affairs in this organization.  He was detained in Vali Asr Square on Thursday, February 11.  Mr.

Ali Malihi, a policy-making member of the Iranian Student Organization, was detained in his residence in the morning hours of February 9. Mr. Malihi has worked with such newspapers as Etemad Melli, Shahrvand Emrooz, and Iran Dokht. Mr. Malihi’s family members said the arresting security agents used harsh tactics in arresting Mr. Malihi..

Environmental activist and interpreter Mahfarid Mansourian has been held in Evin Prison, in the Iranian capital Tehran, since 8 February 2010. She is not known to have been charged and Amnesty International believes she is a prisoner of conscience.

In the morning of Monday, February 8, Hasan Zohori, an experienced journalist, was detained in his residence. Security guards appeared in the residence of the journalist, and after conducting a search, his computer and some of his books were confiscated. The detained journalist has not been involved in political activities and his reports revolved around cultural issues. When Mr. Zohori was detained, he was working with Cultural Heritage Press. Ms. Zohori has worked in this area of expertise for a number of years and has not been involved in other subjects. Mr.

Intelligence forces detained Maryam Ghanbari, a court lawyer and a women’s rights activist, in her residence at 3:00 AM on February 8. The Intelligence agents first rang the neighbor’s bell and gained access to the building, and then entered Ms. Ghanbari’s apartment. The agents also confiscated Mr. Ghanbari’s personal effects, including her computer. There is no information on the cause of Ms. Ghanbari’s arrest. Ms.

Zainab Kazemkhah, the literary reporter of ISNA was also arrested on Sunday morning in her home.

On the morning of February 7, Ali Kalaei, a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, was detained. Mr. Kalaei is currently serving in Imam Ali Military Officers School, and he was placed under arrest by military police. The military police also searched Mr. Kalaei’s parents’ residence and confiscated some of Mr. Kalaei’s personal effects. According to instructions provided by the arresting officials, Mr. Kalaei’s family members were told they should follow ups with branch 2 of the military investigative unit regarding their son’s status.

Akbar Montajabi a prominent journalist with reformist newspapers and magazines who works for the Irandokht publication was arrested by the security agents at two o’clock on Sunday morning. Montajabi previously worked for such publications as Yas-e-No, Shargh, and Etemaad Meli and also for weekly publication Shahrvand-e Emrooz as a reporter in the political section.

Ehsan Mehrabi, parliament reporter of the Farikhtegan newspaper was arrested at his home. Mehrabi’s credentials also include working for Hambastagi newspaper

Mr. Mahboubkhah is a Mechanical Engineering student in Khajeh Nasir University, and in the afternoon of February 6, as he was leaving the school, he was detained by Intelligence agents and taken to an undisclosed location. Mr. Mahboubkhah was an executive member of the Islamic Society in this University, and had been summoned before the Ministry of Intelligence for questioning on numerous occasions.

24-year-old student and women’s rights activist Somayeh Rashidi has been detained in Evin prison since her arrest on 19 December 2009. Amnesty International believes she is being held because she campaigns for women's rights. She has been prevented from seeing her lawyers and her family.

Maziar Samiee, a student activist involved in the One Million Signatures Campaign was arrested early this morning, February 4, 2010 (shortly after midnight) in his home. According to his mother, five security officers entered their home at midnight and after searching the premises and seizing property, such as books, personal writings and a computer, they proceeded to arrest Maziar. It is unclear where they have transfered this woman’s rights defender. The security agents informed the Samiee family that Maziar would contact them to let them know where he is being held.

On Wednesday, February 3, Hamideh Ghasemi, an agriculture student from Tehran University’s Abourayhan campus, was detained by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence. Ms. Ghasemi’s family members did not know about her detention until February 7, and there is no accurate information on why she has been detained.

Mohammad Alimoradi, an Azeri civil rights activist who had previously been detained and subsequently released on bond, was placed under arrest again, after appearing in before the Intelligence section of a security force office on Tuesday, February 2. On this date, Intelligence agents contacted Mr. Alimoradi by telephone and told him his bail guarantor had been detained, and demanded him to appear in the security office located on Saeb Street in the city of Tabriz. Previously, Mr.

Mohammad Mokhtari was a political activist in Kashan University (ex-chairman of the Islamic Society) and he was also a member of the Office of Strengthening Unity, and he was recently expelled from the university under academic pretenses. On February 1, at around noon, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence detained Mr. Mokhtari inside the residence of one of his friends in the city of Kashan.

During the midnight hours of February 1, Intelligence agents detained Vahid Abedini, Navid Abedini and Ismail Izadikhah in their residences. Intelligence agents confiscated some of their personal effects, and there has been no information on the cause of their arrest. Mr. Vahid was an ex-member of the Pro-Democracy Society in Tehran University and Navid was the ex-chairman of the Islamic Society in Tehran University’s School of Literature. In recent days, a new wave of arrests has begun and a number of students and human rights activists have been detained.

In the morning of February 1, Intelligence agents detained a pro-human rights student advocate and took her to an undisclosed location. The student has been identified as Nazanin Farzanjo, a French major who is also associated with the Coalition of Human Rights Advocates. Intelligence agents arrested Ms. Farzanjo in her residence in Mehr Shahr in the city of Karaj. There has been no further information on the reason for her arrest or her whereabouts

On 28th January, Ali-zamani was executed (hanged) over post-election unrest, having been reported to have been sentenced to death in October 2009. He was believed to have been convicted for ties with the Kingdom Assembly of Iran (Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran), a banned monarchist group. At his trial in August, prosecutors accused Mr Ali-Zamani of plotting political assassinations with US military officials in Iraq before returning to Iran "aiming at causing disruption during and after the election". He is said to have admitted his guilt in court.

Saeedeh Mirzaei, an activist working on children’s rights issues, was detained by Ministry of Intelligence agents and taken to undisclosed locations. On January 27, Ms. Mirzaei, 25, a graduate from the chemistry program in Tehran University who also works with an NGO called Better World, was detained by agents from the Ministry of Intelligence while she was assisting child laborers and street children, and she was taken to an undisclosed location.

On 27th January 2010, Reza Khandan, was arrested and taken to an unknown place after he left his sister’s flat in West Tehran. Reza Khandan is one of the board members and writers of the Iranian Writers Society. His mother’s flat was also raided on the same evening where some his books and personal belongings were confiscated.

Masoud Nour-Mohammadi was arrested on January 21 2010. His brother Saeed Nour-Mohammadi, a member of a youth chapter of Jebheh Moshtarak (Participation Front) had been arrested on October 22, detained for the second time, during the recitation of Kamil prayer in a sign of protest against the disputed election results and now remains in Evin Prison.

On 20th Jan 10, Mohsen Safaie-Farahani, a member of the reformist party Islamic Participation Front (IIPF) and former head of Iran’s football federation has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to a six-year jail term for his role in post-election unrest.

Farid Taheri, an executive member of Nehzat Azadi Iran (Iran’s Freedom Front) was detained on the 17th January

Shirin Alam-Houei, a female political prisoner, had received a life sentence from branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on Wednesday, January 6. Following an appeal registered in the provincial appeals court in Tehran, her sentencing was increased to death, and the order was issued on Thursday, January 14. Ms. Alam-Houei is a member of the Kurdish ethnic group and a resident of the city of Maku who had been charged with moharebeh (waging war) through her association with an opposition party taking arms against the regime. Ms. Alam-Houei has been held since May 28, 2008.

Mohammad-Amin Valian, 20, an executive member of the Islamic Society in Damghan University, has been charged with Moharebeh and spreading corruption on earth by an arbitrary and what appears to be an ostentatious court display. On January 12, Mr. Valian was detained in the city of Damghan, and he was transferred to an undisclosed detention center in Tehran after the publication of an article in a newsletter distributed by Basiji (militia) students in Damghan University. Authorities in the Intelligence and Judiciary offices have only told Mr.

Reza al-Basha, aged 27, a male Syrian student and journalist was arrested while reporting on anti-government protests in Tehran on 27 December for the United Arab Emirates TV station Dubai TV. He has been released without charge on 10th January 2010.

Bahman Ahmadi Amou'i, an editor at the business daily paper Sarmayeh, which was closed by the authorities on 2 November, was sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment and 32 lashes on 4 January 2010 by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

Golchin a civil engineering student was arrested at his home, has been convicted of 8 years prison which is currently up for appeal. The conviction is based on association with the green movement, insulting the supreme leader by issuing and signing of a complaint and contact with foreign media, even though there exists no evidence for any of the accounts above. He is currently being held in Evin Prison’s Ward 250.

Eslami, former editor of the long-banned newspaper Fath, wrote most recently for Jonbesh-e-Rah-e-Sabz, a Web site that had backed reformist presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.
Eslami’s family publicized the arrest on January 27 after losing hope for a timely release. Eslami, who is also a practicing ophthalmologist, was arrested at a Tehran medical facility, according to Parleman News, the official Web site of the minority factions in the Iranian parliament.

A reporter with reformist daily Kargozaran and regular contributor to the reformist news Web sites Advar News, Rokhdad, and Feminist School, Karimi was arrested along with his wife, Forough Mirzaee, a human rights lawyer, at their Tehran home, according to local news reports.
His brother, Siamak, told Advar News that officials have disclosed no formal charges.
According to Reporters without Boarders Karimi has been released on the 27th of February 2009.

Authorities arrested Mehregan, editor of the political section of the reformist daily Etemad, and his wife, Mofidi, an official with the Iranian Journalists Association, according to local news reports. Mofidi, who writes articles and conducts interviews with national and international media, had discussed the government’s press policies in a December 22 interview with the Persian service of the German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
No formal charges have been disclosed against either journalist.

Author and journalist Izadi was arrested at his home by security agents who also searched the property, according to the reformist news Web site Advar News. He had worked for Etemad e Melli, a now-closed daily newspaper owned by defeated presidential ‎‎‎candidate Mehdi Karroubi.
Between 1997 and 2000, Izadi was chief editor of the now-banned reformist newspaper Ava Weekly. Izadi is the author of a book about the life of recently deceased Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri.

Emadeddin Baghi, a human rights defender and 2009 recipient of the Martin Ennals Award was arrested on 28 December 2009, in the aftermath of demonstrations marking a religious event known as 'Ashoura’ the day before.

Sara Sayadi-Foomani, 26, detained on Ashura day on College Street, and transferred to Evin Prison women’s section

Ali-Akbar Shojai, 29, detained on Tasua day in Ferdosi Square and transferred to Evin Prison

Saeed Farshbaf, 32, detained on Tasua day in Imam Hossein Square, and transferred to Evin Prison

Arin Safari, 27, detained on Ashura day on Enghelab Street and transferred to Evin Prison

Mohammad-Hadi Mahdavi, 25, detained on Ashura day in the vicinity of Vali Asr Square and transferred to Gohar Dasht Prison

Abas Nikbakht, 33, detained on Ashura day in Imam Hossein Square and transferred to Evin Prison

Hossein Ismailpour, detained on Ashura day and transferred to Evin Prison, and later to Gohar Dasht Prison

Mahmoud Nilforosh, 29, detained on Ashura day in Darvazeh Doulat and transferred to Evin Prison

Touraj Irandoost, 28, detained on Ashura day on College Street and transferred to Evin Prison

Shirazi, editor-in-chief of the now-defunct reformist daily Kalameh Sabz, was taken from his home and brought to an unknown location, according to international news reports.
Shirazi had been arrested and released in the aftermath of the disputed June presidential election. At the time, he had given interviews to foreign-language news media about the post-election turmoil. Saghafi, has been sentenced to a three-year jail term by the Revolutionary Court for his participation in a gathering held in Laleh Park in Tehran to celebrate International Labor Day

Ahmad Qabel, a religious scholar and student of the Grand Ayatollah Hosseinali Montazeri, was arrested on 20th December with family members. He was travelling to Qom from the north-eastern city of Mashhad for the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri and is thought to be detained in Mashhad.

Mohammad Nourizad, a filmmaker and former journalist on the Tehran daily newspaper Kayhan, was arrested on 20th December. Since the June 2009 presidential election he has written blogs critical of the authorities. He may have been arrested to prevent him from writing about Grand Ayatollah Montazeri.

Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights activists and member of the Committee of Human
Rights Reporters (CHRR) was arrested on 20th December 2009. He was arrested on a bus heading towards the city of Qom, which he was travelling on in order to attend the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Montazehri

Saeed Haeri, a student activist and a member of the Committee on Human Rights Reporters (CHRR) was arrested on 20th December 2009 from a bus heading towards the city of Qom that he was travelling on so as to attend the funeral of the Grand Ayatollah Montazehri. Saeed has written many articles about children, worker, and student rights.

Payam Jahangiri, a 28-year-old student of political science at Shiraz University and supporter of the opposition movement in Iran, known as the Green Movement, which emerged after the contested presidential election in June 2009 and contributes to the cultural website Rooznamak was arrested on 5 December 2009 without charge. Payam was arrested two days before nationwide student protests against the government took place on 7 December. He is being held at the Artesh Sevvom detention centre.

A women’s rights activist from the One Million Signature Petition Campaign, she was arrested on 5th December 2009 in Isfahan. Intelligence officers reportedly removed her from her language class and then took her to her house, where they searched all her personal belongings and confiscated her two sons’ personal computers. Mr. Montazeri, Hayedeh’s husband, who originally broke the news, is still unaware of his wife’s whereabouts.

A blogger who focuses on women’s rights, he was arrested on 2nd December 2009 in Khorramabad, a city in western Iran. Very little is known about the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

A journalist for the daily newspaper Jahan Eghtesad (Economic World), she was arrested on 1st December 2009 in Tehran. It is not known where Riahai, 25, is being held. Colleagues say her relatives were warned not to say anything about her arrest.

Mazdak Ali-Nazari, a reporter and editor for the Khabar-Negaran-e Solh (Reporters for Peace) website, was detained on the 14th November 2009. During a brief conversation with his family, Mr. Ali-Nazari informed them about his detention and said that he does not know where he is being held. There is no accurate information on the reason for his arrest. The reporter lived by himself, and as such the news about his detention was published later than usual. In 2007, Mr. Ali-Nazari won a prize set up by the Iranian Journalist Union in honour of the late Mehran Ghasmi

A blogger and supporter of presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, he was arrested on 3rd November 2009 and taken to an undisclosed location. He is also a director of the human rights committee of the Organization of University Graduates of Islamic Iran (known in Iran as Advar-e Tahkim).

A novelist, literary critic, and pro-reform journalist, Javad Mahzadeh was arrested on 22nd October 2009. Following an extensive search of his residence, his computer was also confiscated. Despite being in prison for almost two months, judiciary officials have made no announcement on his case. In November, a letter to the head of Iran’s judiciary, signed by over fifty prominent Iranian writers and journalists, urged Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani to release Mr Mahzadeh.

A pro-reform journalist and human rights advocate, agents from the Ministry of Intelligence arrested him on 16th September 2009. He was taken from his home and has been in solitary confinement since then. He has undergone several interrogation sessions and has been accused of insulting the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

A blogger and doctor based in the northern city of Qasvin, Jamali was arrested on 2nd September 2009. He was reportedly detained with several other activists for “promoting actions against national security such as protests and insults against government officials.” According to the Fars news agency, a judge in Qasvin is quoted as saying Jamali was arrested for being the head of the group of activists.

A freelance journalist and blogger, she was reportedly arrested on 22nd August 2009 at her parents house by agents of the Intelligence Ministry. Currently thought to be in solitary confinement in Evin Prison, Tehran. Since her arrest she has contacted her family briefly on several occasions. According to their account, her mental and physical state was very troubling. Her parents believe that she has been subjected to severe mental and physical pressure to make confessions.

Arrested at his workplace in Tehran on 4th August 2009. A senior campaign official for presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, he was detained at the office of the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), where he is an advisor, according to the website Tabnak. He was reportedly arrested in connection with his work at Qalam news, Mousavi's official website, which he ran during the election campaign. Reports indicate that his computer was also confiscated during the arrest. According to the ILNA news agency he was released on bail for $100,000 on 16th August 2009.

Koroush Javan, a photographer for the Khorshid newspaper was arrested on 13th July 2009. He has worked for several media outlets, and had only recently begun working for this newspaper. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), he was released in the last week of July, although this is difficult to confirm

A prominent photojournalist, she was arrested on 11th July 2009. It is not known where she is being held and on what charges. Since her arrest very little information has been made available regarding her case or the circumstances surrounding her arrest.

The BBC Persian service and other news outlets reported that authorities had detained Abdollahian, a photo editor for the Tehran-based Hamshahri newspaper. ‎Six days after her arrest, she called her family to inform them that she was being held in Evin Prison, according to the news Web site Rooz Online. No formal charges have been disclosed.

Bastani was arrested on 4th July 2009 whilst trying to visit his wife, fellow journalist Massa Amrabadi, in Evin prison. Amrabadi was arrested on 14th June 2009 despite being pregnant. Bastani was also detained in Evin prison where he has spent long periods of time in solitary confinement. On the 25th August 2009, he was shown wearing prison uniform in the fourth “show trial” held in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. Bastani has worked for several well-known media outlets such as Roozonline, the website Jomhouriyat, Radio Farda, Radio Chekavak, Nedat Eslahat, and the weekly publication Shahreban.

Bahaman Ahamadi Amoee and his wife Jila Baniyaghoob were arrested at midnight on 20th June 2009 by intelligence ministry officials who were dressed in plain clothes. Their home was searched and they were then taken to an undisclosed location (likely to be Tehran's Evin prison). Mr Amoee writes for various pro-reform publications and his wife edits a news website that focuses on women's rights. Whilst she has been released on bail (for approx $100,000), Mr Amoee remains in detention, reportedly in solitary confinement, having been denied any legal assistance.

Since her arrest on 29th June 2009, journalist Henghameh Shahidi has spent long periods of time in solitary confinement in Evin prison. She has been on hunger strike and subjected to a great deal of pressure. According to Reporters Without Borders, only limited information is available regarding her case. She has had very little contact with her family and her lawyer. Aged about 34, she is a member of the National Trust Party, an opposition political party headed by reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi.

A journalist and filmmaker, Maziar Bahari is a dual Canadian-Iranian citizen who is well known for his work for Newsweek magazine. During the 2009 Iranian election protests he was arrested without charge, and detained on the morning of 21st June. On 30th June, he was presented by Iranian authorities at a press conference, where he described Western journalists as spies, stated that he had covered “illegal demonstrations”, and confessed to helping promote a “colour revolution”. These statements were clearly coerced.

A prominent analyst, economist and writer, Said Laylaz was arrested in Tehran on 17th June 2009. A supporter of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, he was held in solitary confinement until 25th August 2009, when he was seen inside the courtroom at the fourth session of the trial against reformists and domestic political activists. The reasons behind his arrest are not entirely clear, other than the fact that he has long been a vociferous and vocal critic of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A journalist and reformist politician, Atrianfar was arrested in Tehran on 16th June 2009. He has held senior positions with a number of influential newspapers including Hamshahri, Shargh, and Hammihan. He is also a member of the Executives of Construction Party and a close advisor to Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. On 1st August 2009 he was shown wearing prison uniform in the first “show trial” held in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, having been charged with various crimes including vandalism, acting against national security, and conspiring against the ruling system.

A prominent journalist, reformist, and pro-democracy activist, Hajjarian was detained without charge on 15th June 2009 in Tehran. Partially paralyzed, and reportedly in poor health, he was held for months in Evin Prison (Tehran) with limited contact with lawyers and family members. On 25th August 2009, he was shown wearing prison uniform in the fourth “show trial” held in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court. Placed by prison guards in the front row of defendants in Iran's biggest political trial in many years, he was forced to renounce his entire career as a reformist.

A photojournalist aged thirty-one, Mr Salimi was arrested in Isfahan on 14th June 2009. A former employee of the local newspaper Nesf-e Jahan, he was detained after being summoned by the authorities to recover some equipment that Revolutionary Guards confiscated from him when he was previously arrested in December 2008. He was transferred from Isfahan prison to Section 209 of Evin prison in Tehran on 18th July 2009. According to his family he is in poor health.

Samimi, manager of the now-defunct monthly Nameh, is being held in Evin Prison after his arrest in Tehran, according to news reports. Samimi called his family in October to tell them that he was pressured to make a false confession, his lawyer told Rooz Online. Samimi was charged with “creating public anxiety,” and “congregation and mutiny to disrupt national security,” his lawyer told Zamaneh Radio. Samimi was found guilty of the charges on February 2, 2010, and sentenced to six years imprisonment and a lifetime deprivation of political activities, according to the U.S.

A member of the Centre for Human Rights Defenders' Arbitrary Arrests Committee, and editor of a banned periodical called Nameh, Kivan Samimi Behbehani was taken into custody by Iranian officials at his home in Tehran on 13th June 2009. According to Reporters Without Borders he has been held in solitary confinement for long periods of time and has been subjected to ill treatment. It is thought that he is being held in Section 209 of Evin prison. Very little information has been made available regarding his case.

Arrested in the centre of Tehran in the morning of 1st May 2009, about an hour before the start of the May Day demonstration. Their arrests were witnessed by a fellow journalist’s wife, Saghafi, who said the authorities used violence to arrest Mozafari and her husband. The two journalists were transferred to Tehran’s Evin prison the next day. Reporters Without Borders said. “These arrests, which were made without a warrant and without good reason, were illegal”. Mozafari writes for two websites FeministSchool and Wechange, also known as Change for Equality

&nbsp;<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">One of a total of six journalists and cyber-dissidents to be arrested on 1^st May 2009 in Tehran during the May Day demonstrations. Released 17^th May 2009, after being imprisoned for 17 days. She keeps a blog defending womens&rsquo; rights.&nbsp;</span>

Branch three of the Revolutionary Court in the city of Tabriz sentenced Naghi Ahmadi-Azar Moghadam, an Azeri writer and a reporter, to a combination of a five-year jail term and a ten-year travel ban to the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to sentencing issued by the head of the court, identified as Judge Bayat, Mr. Ahmadi-Azar Moghadam was found guilty of espionage against Armenia inside Iran on behalf of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Azeri writer was accused of these heavy charges after traveling to the Republic of Azerbaijan to attend literary meetings. Mr.